


the mistake is mine for trusting you

by solohux



Series: Tumblr Prompts & Drabbles [6]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Angst, Betrayal, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-20
Updated: 2016-10-20
Packaged: 2018-08-23 16:19:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8334223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/solohux/pseuds/solohux
Summary: For the twenty-fourth night in a row, Hux climbs into bed alone.





	

**Author's Note:**

> from an anonymous prompt I got on tumblr that simply said 'kylux + betrayal', and you can find it [here](http://solohux.tumblr.com/post/152086652294/i-love-all-the-ficlets-you-post-kylux) too! Thank you so much! ❤️

> "Yet each man kills the thing he loves,  
>  By each let this be heard,  
>  Some do it with a bitter look,  
>  Some with a flattering word,  
>  **_The coward does it with a kiss,_**  
>  The brave man with a sword."  
> 
> 
> \- Oscar Wilde, The Ballad of Reading Gaol

For the twenty-fourth night in a row, Hux climbs into bed alone. 

With having become completely accustomed to lying next to Kylo, Hux has forgotten just how cold space is. Even with the heater on and an extra blanket over him, a chill lingers in the air, a frigid grasp on his mind. Hux slides his hand over the empty sheets next to him, imaging Kylo sleeping alone on Snoke's base, huddled in on himself, trying to rest after whatever rigorous training his master is putting him through. 

Hux knows Kylo has trouble sleeping, haunted by nightmares and dark voices that try and control him, that reach out with their ghostly fingers in the middle of the night to ensnare him into despair. But it's Hux's soft hands that pull him back from the edge, that keep Kylo's mind harmonised, that keep him strong. 

And Hux is sure that Kylo is his remedy against the loneliness of being a military general. 

In the middle of a dream about having Kylo's hands all over his body, Hux is awoken by the feeling of the mattress dipping underneath him as though someone has sat down next to him, but that's impossible, no one but Kylo has the access code to Hux's private rooms. 

There's suddenly a warm hand cupping his cheek, stroking over his cheekbone with their thumb. Hux opens his eyes, taking a moment to adjust to the darkness, but sees a strong silhouette on the bed next to him, and it's as though the chill in the air has been consumed by warmth, spreading across Hux's skin. 

"Ren?" Hux asks the darkness, moving to hold the hand on his cheek. 

"Yeah. It's me, Hux," comes the reply and suddenly Hux can see Kylo perfectly in the dark of his room, his brown eyes soft and inviting. 

Hux sits up too quickly, feeling dizzy, but he doesn't care. He pulls Kylo in for a tight hug, wrapping his arms around Kylo's neck and kissing him with unrestrained passion, gasping for air between each ferocious meeting of their lips. Hux feels Kylo’s hands slide up his back, cupping his shoulder blades in his palms and massaging his fingers against the tense muscles, unknotting every anxiety that Hux has built up in Kylo’s absence.

“I’ve missed you,” Hux says, entwining his fingers in Kylo’s hair at the nape of his neck, gripping the stands tightly between his fingers as though seeking every piece of validation that Kylo is _here._

“I’ve missed you too. I’m sorry,” Kylo replies as he breaks the kiss, sliding his hands down to hold Hux’s hips. “Snoke has only sent me back here to retrieve you. He has a mission for us.”

“A mission?” Hux asks, frowning. “What mission? Is your training complete?”

Kylo’s grip on Hux seems to falter for a moment, weakening, as he hesitates. Hux stares at him, wondering what _training_ Snoke has put Kylo through to make him so jittery.

“My training is as complete as it can be. He wants us to find something. Come on. I’ve got the coordinates,” Kylo says, pulling his hands away from Hux a little too quickly for Hux’s liking.

But Hux doesn’t question him; he’s too ecstatic to have _his_ Ren back by his side. Once they’re done with this silly little task, Hux knows that everything is going to return to normal. They’ll be back on the bridge together, co-commanders of the most feared ship in the galaxy, but more importantly, Hux will have Kylo back in his bed, someone to cling on to for warmth and safety and _comfort._

Hux thinks that Kylo is the first person he’s ever truly trusted, the _only_ person that Hux would gladly jump in front of a blaster bolt for.

For Hux, Kylo is _the only person._

Hux gets dressed quickly and Kylo merely hovers by the door, shifting his weight awkwardly from one foot to the other, watching every one of Hux’s lithe movements as he adorns his pristine uniform and greatcoat. Without uttering another word, Hux follows Kylo down the bleak corridors of their _Finalizer_ and to the hangar where Kylo’s command shuttle awaits. They board, and Hux sits down in the copilot’s seat next to Kylo, eyeing his knight’s jolted movements.

“You’re all right, aren’t you, Ren?” Hux asks as they fly towards their destination, to why Kylo seems reluctant to share. “The Supreme Leader didn’t do anything _too_ malicious to you, did he?”

Kylo’s expression remains blank, his soft gaze staring out into the vast array of stars ahead.

“The Supreme Leader has done many things to me,” he answers, his gaze shifting downwards to his own hands which grip the controls. “But not this time.”

“…Right. But you’re not harmed? Maybe you should’ve received medical attention before we left home,” Hux says, wondering whether Kylo is hiding an array of cuts and bruises underneath his heavy robes.

Kylo turns to him, giving him a soft smile. “I’m fine, Hux.”

Being an expert liar himself, Hux doesn’t believe him.

Their ship descends upon a little green planet, though Hux has no idea what its name is or what system they’re in. They land safely, thanks to Kylo’s expertly-attuned piloting skills, a light drizzle of rain falling upon them.

“Well?” Hux declares when he sees Kylo’s hesitation to even stand up. “Shouldn’t we be going? The sooner we find whatever the Supreme Leader desires, the sooner we can go home.”

Kylo doesn’t reply. He looks up at Hux, a deep and warm texture to his eyes, and stands, walking with uncharacteristically small steps down the ramp of the shuttle and out into the luscious green field they’d landed in. A humid breeze hits Hux as he follows Kylo out, seeing blue sky and a tall, leering forest in front of them, strange noises coming from inside.

“I…I can sense what we’re looking for,” Kylo says, looking through the forest as though it isn’t there. “Come on.”

Hux confidently walks behind Kylo, trusting the knight’s instincts.

The forest soon shuts them off from the light, the tall and dense canopy stopping the rays from reaching them, so a chill quickly descends upon them though Hux is sure that Kylo doesn’t seem to notice. He looks… _distracted._ As though his mind is somewhere else, focussing on something a million light years away from the two of them walking through this ridiculous forest—

_Snap!_

Hux turns sharply with an elegant twist of his hips, hearing the sound of something, or some _one_ , stepping on a twig. His sharp gaze scans the scene behind him but sees nothing, no sign of movement.

“Ren? Did you hear that?”

Hux turns back around, only to find himself completely alone.

“Ren?” No answer. “ _Ren?”_

A freezing shiver runs down the length of his spine, his knees lock into place. The chill in the air becomes stronger. An uneasiness fills his stomach.

Even without any _mystical_ powers, Hux can feel that something is terribly wrong.

He turns quickly when he hears someone approaching, though is quickly met with a fist to his cheek, but one doesn’t escalate to _General_ without being able to take a punch. Senses regained in mere seconds, Hux swings his own fist back at the attacker, a male with dark, tousled hair, and for a brief moment, Hux swears he sees a _Resistance_ insignia on the man’s green uniform.

Using the height difference to his advantage, Hux brings his knee up to the man’s stomach, targeting his ribs and using all his strength in the blow. The hit strikes, and the man recoils with a gasp of pain, but before Hux can attack again, he’s thrust back against a nearby tree by an invisible hand, his head colliding with the trunk with tremendous force. Dazed, spots appearing in his vision, Hux falls to the ground, cheek pressed against the dirt and fallen leaves of the forest floor. He groans loudly as the entire world spins, feeling a warm and wet patch on the back of his head. A pair of hands are suddenly pulling his arms behind his back, cuffing his wrists together with strong binders.

“Not so high and mighty now, are we, _General?”_ The man says with a venomous tone. “Up you get, Gingernut.”

Hux growls at the derogatory name as he’s pulled up, wobbling from dizziness. His attacker keeps hold of his arm, as though Hux could fight him off with the injuries he’s sustained.  

“I said, _don’t hurt him._ ” _Ren._ It’s _Ren’s voice,_ Hux thinks, blinking harshly to aid the spots to disappear.

The man scoffs. “Relax, Ben. He’ll live. Rey was careful.”

“…Ben?” Hux whispers, the name feeling completely alien in his mouth.

He looks up, seeing Kylo approaching with the _scavenger_ next to him, walking _too_ close to him, with various Resistance fighters and pilots behind the two of them, all glaring at Hux as though he’s a piece of meat.

Except _Kylo._

Kylo’s eyes are watery, soft and warm, his lips slightly parted as he breathes heavily.

“Explain what the hell is going on. _Now,_ Ren,” Hux demands, twisting in the man’s grip.

Kylo shakes his head. “I…I’m sorry, Hux.”

Whilst the scavenger and the rest of the Resistance members stop, Kylo keeps on walking, taking tentative steps towards Hux, as though he’s nothing more than a timid creature that’ll spook at any moment.

“They said I’d be good if I did this. That it’s the final step in going home. Kylo Ren would die the moment that you’re given to the Resistance,” Kylo— _Ben—_ says, his tone hushed.

Hux’s chest aches; he pinpoints the exact moment that he feels his soul shatter into a thousand shards, piercing his heart, threatening to render him to his _knees_ and beg for someone to wake him from this nightmare.

_Kylo Ren would die._

“No…Ren, they’ve done something to you, manipulated you. You wouldn’t do this,” Hux says, his voice trembling as his world comes crashing down on him with unforgiving force, no chance of recovery. Something dawns on him extremely quickly after he processes his own words; Kylo Ren wouldn’t do this, but Ben Solo _would._

“I’m…sorry, Hux,” Kylo says. “They won’t kill you. My mother—she promised that it’d be life imprisonment as long as you cooperate with us.”

“ _Us?!”_ Hux shouts, gritting his teeth. “The only _‘us’_ you’ve ever known is _you_ and _me._ You think they’re going to accept you now that you’ve decided to _turn back_? It’s bullshit, Ren! You _know_ it! They’re not _home!”_

_‘I'm your home, Ren.’_

Hux’s chest heaves for breath, the complete rawness of the emotion that’s swelling inside his veins feels completely overpowering.

“Please. _Armitage_ ,” Kylo says, reaching out to touch Hux, but he recoils.

“ _Don’t._ Don’t you dare,” he snarls, feels hot tears streaming down his cheeks. “Don’t fucking touch me. You’re _nothing_ to me anymore. You _murderer._ ”

Hux spits, a mix of saliva and blood flying in Kylo’s direction. The man holding Hux pulls him back roughly.

“It’s okay, Poe,” Kylo says. “I deserve it.”

They stand in silence for the next few moments, and every fibre of Hux’s being is screaming at him to wake up. _This can’t be real._ But it is; his anger and rage and _anguish_ is much too strong for this to be anything but the dark reality that has consumed Hux’s world.

“Should we…take him back to base?” Poe says, tightening his grip on Hux’s arm.

Kylo nods. Poe pulls Hux forward, and Hux walks without refusal, his cold gaze locked on the man he would’ve given his life up for. But no more; the man in front of him isn’t Kylo. It’s _Ben._

“I swear to you, Hux,” Ben says as Hux passes him. “You’ll be kept safe. You won’t die by their hands.”

Hux scoffs, one last tear dripping down his pale cheek. “It’s too late. I died with Kylo Ren.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! My tumblr is [@solohux](http://solohux.tumblr.com/) ❤️


End file.
